Welcome to Temple Tiferet Shalom!

Your Reform Jewish Home

We are a warm and vibrant congregation based in the Reform Jewish tradition. Here you will find a welcoming and inclusive community of spirituality, comfort, and life-long learning for individuals and families. We have a culture of engaging in Jewish life through prayer, study, celebration, and social action to make our world a better place.

TEMPLE TIFERET SHALOM WILL REQUIRE PRE-REGISTRATION BY ALL VISITORS:

Temple Tiferet Shalom warmly greets all newcomers to its community. However, during these challenging times, out of an abundance of caution, we now require all visitors to the Temple to pre-register with the Temple Office at least 24 hours in advance before attending a service or event.

To pre-register, please call 978-535-2100 between 9AM and 4PM. Visitors may accompany a Temple member to Temple without pre-registration.

While no steps can guarantee Temple security, we believe this strikes the correct balance between our desire to be a warm and welcoming community and a safe one.”

A Statement from Rabbi Evan Sheinhait and TTS President, Bryna Musuira

Hamas’s attacks in Israel this week have left Jews around the world in a state of grief, anger, and mourning.

In all moments of life, Temple Tiferet Shalom supports its members, our local and national communities, and Jewish communities in Israel and around the world.

In the coming weeks, and for as long as this conflict continues, our Temple is here to support you and your family through constructive dialogue and prayer.

For ways to support Israel during this difficult time, please visit the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ’s) article entitled “How You Can Support Israel During This Time of Great Tragedy and Mourning,” at https://urj.org/blog/how-you-can-support-israel-during-time-great-tragedy-and-mourning.

Messages from...

Rabbi, Evan Sheinhait

Passover hits differently this year. Our yearly journey through national redemption no longer feels metaphorical. The questions of miracles in a broken world are a painful reminder that full freedom still awaits us; we are all still on the journey through the desert, searching and hoping for the Promised Land. When we gather in our homes and the homes of our loved ones, the scar of October 7th will bear its mark. Our seders will feel incomplete without recognizing the realities of Judaism in 5784. So what can we do?

Here are a few suggestions on how to enhance your seder with contemporary issues in mind:

Add a new symbol to your seder plate. Olive branches are a symbol of peace, so add an olive to offer hope that peace will be achieved among all Israelis and Palestinians. Or add a sabra, a cactus pear, a symbol of the resilience of the Israeli spirit - spiky and tough on the outside, but sweet and promising on the inside.
Leave a seat open for a hostage. As we invite in the spirit of Elijah, let us also remember our siblings still in captivity. Set a place for them at our table to pray for their release and homecoming to a table of joy. Dedicate it to someone specifically, using their name and sharing their story.
Why stop with four questions? The four questions are springboards for deeper conversation. Ask new questions to your guests: On all other nights, we think about the future; why, on this night, do we talk about our past? On all other nights, we suppress our Jewish sensibilities; why, on this night, do we wear them with pride? On all other nights, we worry about the future; why, on this night, do we dream of redemption?
Add an extra reading compiled by the CCAR during Maggid, the telling of our Exodus story.
Remove 10 extra drops of wine for the plagues of anti-Semitism and Islamaphobia that are rampant on social media and in our society.
Sing "Hativkah" as a part of Hallel, our songs of praise.
If your seder typically ends with the meal, before you dine, jump to Nirtzah at the very end of the haggadah and share in our deceleration of longing and forgiveness: “Next year in Jerusalem!”

Our seders are built with flexibility in mind. No two seders should look the same, not from home to home or year to year. This year, we add our pain and resilience to the seder plate. This year, we gather in our pain. Next year, may we gather in peace!

Chag Purim sameach!

Rabbi Evan (he/him)

President, Bryna Misiura

Chaverim:

This is one of my favorite times of year – both in our seasonal and religious holiday cycle. It is a time when we wake out of our winter slumber and start to see our flowers and trees start to bloom for Spring. It is also a wonderful time for Jewish holidays.

Until coming to this community, I didn’t know what a Purim Spiel was. Now, I wait all year for Bunny’s Purim spiel script to come out, for the rehearsals that are filled with laughter, and for the tremendous community attendance that comes to watch the spiel. This year’s Barbie’s World did not disappoint. From start to finish, it was filled with laughter, great music and pink! Thank you, Bunny, for making this year’s (and every year’s) spiel a great success.

My other favorite holiday is Passover, and I can’t wait for this year’s seders to start. On Sunday, April 7, 2024, the Sisterhood will be offering a Women’s seder. I know a lot of work and planning has gone into this, and in addition to the traditional seder plate and order of the seder, I love how this particular seder focuses on women’s contributions to the holiday. Last year’s seder was a big success, and this one is on track to be better with many who have signed up. If you still haven’t signed up for this, I encourage you to do so quickly.

On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at 6:00 PM, the Temple will be hosting a 2nd Seder Night. Last year, we had great participation. Led by Rabbi Evan and Gary Gillette again this year, we are expecting the same. Please RSVP by Friday, April 12th to register to attend.

Finally, I want to highlight Bryna Toder Tabasky’s celebration of life and career on Sunday, April 14, 2024, at 2:00 PM. As our Music Director for more than 60 years, she has had a profound impact on music and religious ritual at Temple Tifereth Israel and Temple Tiferet Shalom. Let’s all come out and celebrate with her family, friends and our community her profoundly successful career.

With that, I wish everyone an early Happy Passover, and Happy Spring.

L’ shalom,

Bryna Rosen Misura